Talk to my answering machine!

In the run-up to the law about data retention which became operative on 1st January 2008, we talked about the idea to prepare our answering machines with some information about the upcoming situation. ST implemented the following message and I followed suit.

Dear telecommunication user, currently, the date, the time and your telephone number has been stored by the telecommunication provider [put in yours] based in [put in the location of your provider]. In case of calling from a mobile phone, your present location has been documented as well as the IMEI, the 15 digit serial number of your mobile device. If you use a prepaid card, the activation date of this card was listed by now. And when moving through different cells, they will also be saved. This data will be stored for the next six month on call. This procedure is regulated by law since 1st January 2008 referring to a German Law called “Gesetz zur Neuregelung der Telekommunikationsüberwachung und anderer verdeckter Ermittlungsmaßnahmen sowie zur Umsetzung der Richtlinie 2006/24/EG des Europäischen Parlaments und des Rates vom 15. März 2006 über die Vorratsspeicherung von Daten, die bei der Bereitstellung öffentlich zugänglicher elektronischer Kommunikationsdienste erzeugt oder verarbeitet werden, und zur Änderung der Richtlinie 2002/58/EG. You might think, a fax, an eMail or an SMS would have been better, but I have to let you down. Even these communication channels get recorded. To have your call not for nothing, you may leave a message on the answering machine. But only in case of not loosing interest in phoning.